Cishek quiets closer concerns for Marlins

Sidearmer brings stability to role that sabotaged season in 2012

March 31, 2013|By Craig Davis, Staff Writer

It started with the closer.

How differently 2012 may have turned out for the Miami Marlins had Heath Bell performed to previous form is open to speculation.

What is known is that Bell's three losses and three blown saves in the first month put the Marlins in a hole and started the dominoes toppling. By the All-Star break the prized free-agent acquisition was out of the ninth-inning role for good, and the trade-off of veterans would begin within weeks.

No Marlins fans complained when Bell joined the exodus after the season.

Surprisingly, as the Marlins begin a new campaign amid few expectations, the least of the concerns on the pitching staff is the closer.

That seems more unlikely considering Steve Cishek has but 18 saves and less than two full seasons in the major leagues. He's a minimum-salary guy not yet arbitration eligible but already comfortable in the elite bullpen seat.

The right-hander from Falmouth, Mass., was one of the few positive developments for the Marlins in a dismal 2012. He brought stability to the sinking back end of the bullpen after then-manager Ozzie Guillen finally pulled the plug on Bell. Cishek converted 14 of 15 save chances during the second half of the season.

Cishek's performance in pressure-packed situations in the recent World Baseball Classic gave new manager Mike Redmond comfort that the task of holding leads in the ninth inning is in good hands.

"They were big and he handled them great," Redmond said after Cishek returned from his tour with Team USA. "As a manager you look at how they do in the biggest situations. He was tremendous."

Cishek retired all four batters he faced in the tense second-round game against the Dominican Republic at Marlins Park. He came in with two on and the score tied in the seventh and got an inning-ending groundout, then breezed through the eighth including a three-pitch strikeout of former Marlin Hanley Ramirez.

In the first round, Cishek bailed the U.S. out of bases-loaded jams in back-to-back games against Mexico and Canada.

"I had to go into some pretty tough situations my first couple outings there. Actually every outing there," Cishek said. "I think it just gave me an early start trying to set back the nerves and adrenaline to face hitters, which is what I'm going to be experiencing this year."

Cishek, 26, grew up a Red Sox fan on Cape Cod, 75 miles from Fenway Park but only saw one game there as a 9-year-old before visiting there with the Marlins last season. He embraced the experience with the joy of a little-leaguer, adding his signature to the likes of Ted Williams inside the Green Monster. He pitched scoreless innings in two appearances against the Sawx.

Whereas the prototypical closer is a glowering tough guy, Cishek is soft-spoken and posts Bible verses on Twitter (@srSHREK31). He keeps one on a card in his back pocket to reflect on before he enters a game.

Don't be fooled by his amiable nature off the mound. He brings a heart of steel to it.

"There is intensity there," catcher Rob Brantly said. "He comes in and swipes the dirt. He knows he can throw it wherever he wants it."

Cishek said: "As a kid growing up I was competitive in anything I did. I played baseball and basketball in high school. I could play cards and I'm super competitive in that too."

The 6-foot-6 sidearmer casts a vastly different shadow than the portly Bell. They differ greatly in style and temperament.

But Cishek said he benefited from observing how Bell, one of baseball's most reliable closers the previous three years, approached the job.

"I learned a lot more from his successes than his struggles," Cishek said of Bell, who did have a streak of 14 consecutive saves in 2012. "More so from his frame of mind. Before he could go into the game he was always locked in, fired up to get out there. He always wanted the ball. So I learned a lot from that.

"There is a lot more weight on your shoulders because it's the ninth inning and it's either make or break. I can understand why mentally it can be a little tougher. I just always try to keep it as simple as possible."

One concern to watch with Cishek is how he fares against left-handed hitters. While his wide-sweeping delivery can be brutal for right-handers to face, lefties get a much better look at his pitches.

Last season lefties hit .279 against him, compared to .185 for righties. For his career, the disparity is smaller, 52 points. But lefties have an on-base plus slugging percentage 182 points higher. The difference in strikeout-to-walk ratios is minimal.

Cishek did strike out tough lefty Robinson Cano in the game against the Dominican Republic. And last season he had a memorable game-ending strikeout of the Giants' Melky Cabrera, who was leading the league in hitting, with a backdoor slider.

This spring Cishek has been working diligently on his change-up, which he believes can increase his effectiveness, particularly against lefties.

"Another tool in the shed," he said of the change-up, which he lost the feel for and abandoned last season. "I think it's important to be able to mix speeds, especially with lefties."

Last year Cishek was happy to make the team out of spring training and became the closer by default. Now he is searching for refinements to ensure the ninth inning remains an area of strength for the Marlins.

He pitched scoreless innings in four Grapefruit League appearances after returning from the WBC. The delivery that Redmond calls "funky" appears locked in.

"He's smart and he knows what he's got to do to prepare himself," Redmond said. "He looks like he's ready to go."